Sonos 9.2 - Automatic Updates, Volume Limits, Desktop, Dock and More

Sonos version 9.2 is now available with some new settings and features, improvements to our partner API, a whole new look and some changes to the Desktop Controller for Mac and Windows, and end of support for the Sonos Dock.

Settings: Automatic Updates, Volume Limits, Disable Wi-Fi, and more

With Sonos version 9.2, you can enable automatic updates for your Sonos system, so that during a timeframe when the system isn't in use, they'll download the latest updates for you. This will allow you to effortlessly keep your system on the latest software by setting your Sonos players to download and install new versions. Using a mobile controller, go to More > Settings > System Updates > Automatic Updates and slide it on.

Select a general time period that your system will check for updates, and as long as the players aren't in use at the time, they'll go ahead with the update when it's available. If your speakers are in use, they'll wait until they aren't anymore.

Volume Limits
Ever have the neighbors complain that you're playing music too loud or have a room for the kids that you want to keep quieter? With Sonos version 9.2, you can set a maximum volume at a per room level. Within More > Settings > Room Settings > Volume Limit, you can pick what level the maximum volume should be.

Once that limit is set, the volume bar will still look like it goes from 0-100, but 100% will now reflect what your volume limit is now set to. This has the added benefit of being able to get more granular control of players at low volume, as the volume steps will scale up or down with the max volume.

Disabling Wi-Fi
Starting today, some settings that were hidden behind local web servers have moved within the settings of the Sonos app. You can now choose to disable the wireless of Sonos speakers. Just go to More > Settings > Room Settings > Advanced Room > Wi-Fi.

You can only disable the wireless on Sonos speakers that are wired into the network, otherwise they'd get stranded and would need a factory reset to re-connect. So make sure you don't disconnect the Ethernet on speakers that you disable the wireless on.

Setting Surrounds
It's now possible to bond the Connect:Amp as a surround speaker for a Beam, Playbar, or Playbase using the Sonos app. You'll need to have the Connect:Amp wired into the network along with the home theater speaker, or have the two wired together with an Ethernet cable. This is because the Connect:Amp doesn't have the needed hardware to run wirelessly. On that note, the recently announced Sonos Amp will be able to do this wirelessly.

System requirements, alerts, and warnings:

We've updated the look of the Desktop Controller for Mac and Windows computers as discussed in this thread here. New system setup and configuration options have been removed from the Desktop Controller. It is no longer possible to use the Desktop Controller to setup or transfer a Sonos system, add a player, create or separate stereo pairs, register players, setup a TV, enable parental controls, manage network settings, adjust line-in settings, opt in or out of beta programs, or change Sonos account passwords. Please use the Sonos App for iOS or Android to change these settings instead. You can find out more in the thread here.

This software release ends connectivity for the Sonos Dock, originally released in 2010. Upon updating to version 9.2, the Dock will no longer connect to your system (although it can still be used as a charger). Learn more at http://www.sonos.com/dock or join the discussion in this thread.

Finally, operating systems iOS 9 and Android 4.x are now partially supported by the Sonos App. Devices running iOS 9 or Android 4.x can still browse, search and play music using this version of the Sonos app. Less common tasks like adding new speakers, modifying music services, or setting up a new Sonos system require Android 5.0 or higher, or iOS 10 or higher.

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Updated to 9.2 on my PC and now many features are missing from the app, most importantly Room settings and the ability to add speakers. Is this an oversight, or are we now expected to do this only from the mobile app?

Updated to 9.2 on my PC and now many features are missing from the app, most importantly Room settings and the ability to add speakers. Is this an oversight, or are we now expected to do this only from the mobile app?

Am I correct in thinking that the new 'disable wireless' feature should only let a user switch off the device Wireless/WiFi, when there is an existing 'legitimate' wired connection that can take over the speaker connection, otherwise the 'radio' will remain active? Once it’s off however, i presume it should stay off until a user either switches it back on, or factory-resets the device.

My thoughts are there are several reasons for switching off the WiFi, as far as I can ascertain ...

So I’m hoping the wireless will always remain turned off, until it is re-enabled by the end-user.

In the back of my mind, I have read previously, somewhere in the community, that switching off a wireless radio on a sonos speaker saves around 2 watts from the figures shown here (see link below) ..I’m just wondering if that is (approx.) the correct information that I have?

Ah...I really love the idea of automatic updates, do you know the 'between times' that the updates may actually occur for morning, afternoon, evening etc. I’m just curious.

I assume the new auto-updates are just for the firmware on the devices only, so will there still be a need to get the controller software update from a local App Store and if so, will the Sonos App continue to let us know when there is a new update available?

Thanks again, great update by the way. It installed without any issues and I’m very much looking forward to trying some of the new features. 👍

Mel, thanks so much for the link, sorry I missed it in Ryan's post. The explanation was thorough, though it's never going to make users happy when key features are removed during a mandatory update. I agree with Sonos' mission to support mobile devices and integration, but it seems there should be a way to do this not at the expense of the PC application.

Mel, thanks so much for the link, sorry I missed it in Ryan's post. The explanation was thorough, though it's never going to make users happy when key features are removed during a mandatory update. I agree with Sonos' mission to support mobile devices and integration, but it seems there should be a way to do this not at the expense of the PC application.

Technically it's not mandatory, as you do not have to upgrade. However, you wouldn't get any new features, security updates, or be able to add new products to your system without doing the upgrades.

Ryan, ...[a]m I correct in thinking that the new 'disable wireless' feature should only let a user switch off the device Wireless/WiFi, when there is an existing 'legitimate' wired connection that can take over the speaker connection, otherwise the 'radio' will remain active? Once it’s off however, i presume it should stay off until a user either switches it back on, or factory-resets the device.

Yes, both of these are correct. The players may not be able to detect at all times if the connection they have is legitimate, so make sure your connection is good before disconnecting the wireless. Bad cables that sometimes fail could certainly cause issues and the wireless is no longer active as a fallback.

Ken_Griffiths wrote:

In the back of my mind, I have read previously, somewhere in the community, that switching off a wireless radio on a sonos speaker saves around 2 watts from the figures shown here (see link below) ..I’m just wondering if that is (approx.) the correct information that I have?

Great question, I don't know the exact change, and it'll likely vary a bit based on the device, as some players use different wireless cards. I'll see if the team is looking into adjusting that page to include the power with WiFi disabled.

Ken_Griffiths wrote:

Ah...I really love the idea of automatic updates, do you know the 'between times' that the updates may actually occur for morning, afternoon, evening etc. I’m just curious.I assume the new auto-updates are just for the firmware on the devices only, so will there still be a need to get the controller software update from a local App Store and if so, will the Sonos App continue to let us know when there is a new update available?

They're not exactly timed for load balancing reasons, but you could split them up every six hours or so during the day, and then +/- an hour on each side. And updated take place within those windows. Also, if you're listening to music, they won't stop to update. And yes, it's just for the software running on Sonos hardware, your App Store will continue to manage the update timing on controllers.

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Why? Why not just leave it as it was. Taking functions away is unbelievable.

Development costs (perhaps?) ...I personally suspect that research and questionnaires undertaken on behalf of Sonos, may have shown those pages (now removed in the 9.2 release), were possibly rarely used in the Windows/Mac controller App and that people are now turning more towards their mobiles and tablets to perform the removed actions/features.

If that is true, then it will mean the future effort of the development staff can be concentrated on introducing even more new features, that a majority of users will find useful.

Just my guess of course. It’s what makes 'business sense' to cut out these perhaps 'rarely used' pages and streamline the desktop controllers.

Not sure where to mention it, but really disappointed in the loss of desktop functionality to configure and manage rooms. The desktop app is predominantly where I did those system changes/modifications. With the whole restless & api driven nature of development for multiple platforms(apple, android, desktop) it's disappointing to see sonos go the route of deleting functionality. I still love my sonos system, but I've lot a little bit of Sonos love today.

I really like the idea of the automatic updates, but worried future automatic updates will also delete functionality.

Not sure where to mention it, but really disappointed in the loss of desktop functionality to configure and manage rooms. The desktop app is predominantly where I did those system changes/modifications. With the whole restless & api driven nature of development for multiple platforms(apple, android, desktop) it's disappointing to see sonos go the route of deleting functionality. I still love my sonos system, but I've lot a little bit of Sonos love today.

I can assure you that you're not alone here. There was another topic that Ryan started in advance of this update as a warning of this change, and there are a few replies from myself and others there in the same boat... but nonetheless, Sonos saw fit to remove much of the setting functionality from the desktop controller, likely because it's not used often enough compared to their mobile apps.

First issue with the Desktop app on Windows. The app does not retain window size and position between sessions, but always opens to a preset size and position. That's a big no-no for me.

Yep, I'm seeing this too. I'm guessing Sonos will confirm it as a known issue... hopefully it will be fixed quickly as it's definitely annoying. I much prefer a smaller window size that loads in the lower left corner of my screen.

And here's a curious one, and I don't know if this pre-existed the update or not. I uploaded the soundtrack to A Star Is Born to my Google Play Library. The entire album is recognized and playable in Google Play in Windows and in the android app. But the Sonos controllers (windows and android) can't recognize or see BOTH track 33 and track 34. It will recognize one or the other (if just one is uploaded) or choose one of the two (if both are uploaded), but never both.

My assumption is that that is because the songs share nearly identical names.

There's a bug in the Windows desktop app. Load an album from the local library into the queue and start it playing. Now double click one of the songs in the queue. All of the 'group' buttons from each of the other zones turn into big white rectangles for a few seconds before they go back to the unmarked graphical group buttons.